This is the second book in the Dr Wren series, with the first book being The Butcher and The Wren. I loved that book and I loved this one too. Once again we have Wren and Jeremy is a nail biting cat and mouse game, though not as much as the first book. Dual perspectives are done with a chefs kiss! This is an edge of your seat read with no lulls or slow burns to be found. Jeremy is even more twisted than we could imagine so beware of a lot of violence in this one. The tension builds with each page until you feel like you cannot take the suspense anymore, and once again you're with a twist that makes you crave the next book immediately.
My only complaint is a few things I felt like I couldn't suspend my belief for, but I can't mention them without it being a spoiler.

Overall, I highly recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I missed the first book and I think if I'd read it I would have appreciated this more, That said it's an interesting and gruesome at times tale of a cat and mouse sort of chase between Dr. Wren Muller and Jeremy Rose, the Butcher serial killer. There's some hopscotching around as these two circle one another. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. While it wasn't for me, I think Urquhart's fans will enjoy it.

ARC 📖 Review: The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars)

Pub Date: 9/17/24

I loved The Butcher and the Wren so when I saw The Butcher Game on @netgalley I HAD to request it. I’m all about a serial killer story and this one did not disappoint! Highly recommend if serial killers are your vibe too (sounds messed up to say that but you know what I mean 😅).

Thank you @netgalley and @zandoprojects for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

💀🔪🚤

From the New York Times bestselling author and co-host of chart-topping true crime podcast Morbid comes the thrilling book two in her national bestselling series, told from the dueling perspectives of a notorious serial killer and a medical examiner seeking justice.

#thebutchergame #alainaurquhart #reading #read #reader #bookreview #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #booklover #booknerd #bookaddict #arcreader #bookstagrammer

Alaina, I say this with so so SO much love and affection… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME 😭 I’m fkn unwell. NOT WELL. IM NOT WELLLLLLLLLLL. God you were born to be an author. I love you so much and just because you crushed my entire being with the ending of this book, I fear my love has only grown. Please never stop writing, I need SO MUCH MORE FROM YOU!!

I also got through the authors note up until you got to Ash. I sobbed. Thank god I cried on my phone and not on a pretty new book because there were in fact snot bubbles. I love you girls so much.

Okay no more emotions, here is my full and final review.

In the sequel to The Butcher and the Wren, you’ll follow Dr. Wren Muller and Detective Leroux on their search for the notorious bayou butcher. Leaving their home in New Orleans, they’re off to Salem, Massachusetts; following the trail of bodies the butcher is leaving for Wren.

This was TWISTY TURNY SPOOKY DOOKIE I LOVED IT AND I CANNOT WAITTTTTTYY to get my hands on a physical copy.

Thank you so much to Alaina, @zandoprojects and @netgalley for the ARC 🫶
This review is my own thoughts and opinions and has been given voluntarily!

The Butcher Games
Alana Urquhart freaking did it again! I’m always nervous about a sequel when A) I loved the first book and B) I love the author. But this one did NOT disappoint: We pick up right where we left off in the first book and waste no time diving back into the twisted mind of Jeremy Rose… which is a scary place indeed. And the ending… well let’s just say I’m fully expecting a third book 👀
Go grab a copy on pub day and, Alana would say, hold onto your butts, weirdos!

Thank you to Zando and Netgalley for the ARC!

“Wren still runs,” he says with a wheeze. “You don’t matter.” The last words rasp out but they register, taunting Jeremy…”

If I could sum up this book with one quote, it would be that. After all Wren has gone through (and continues to go through), she keeps moving forward. She is shaken, scared but she keeps going, no matter what.

I absolutely devoured “The Butcher and the Wren” last year, so this sequel was one of my most anticipated reads! It picks up almost exactly where the last book left off, so I suggest reading them in order (you also get a lot of background info on Wren and her life in the first book). Told from dual points of view, this book alternates between Wren’s point of view and Jeremy’s. I spent the majority of the book terrified, on pins and needles to see how it was going to play out. Jeremy is exactly the kind of “bad guy” that scares the crap out of me - he has nothing to lose and is just so evil. His adventures were so deeply disturbing that I had to remind myself I was reading a story and not a real life true crime account. There was one part in this book that absolutely gutted me - I won’t say much more about that except I kept thinking it couldn’t actually be happening. I may have shed a tear or two while reading this one! Alaina Urquhart very skillfully laid the groundwork for another book in the series and I hope it comes soon!

”The Butcher Game” releases September 17, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Thanks to NetGalley and Zando for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

The Butcher Game takes place shortly after the events of the first novel, The Butcher and the Wren. Wren is taking time off of work after her encounter with Jeremy Rose. In the first novel, readers discover that she was one of his victims years prior, and she had actually escaped and created a new life for herself. Now that his secret was discovered and he is on the run, he wants to make Wren suffer, all the while more people fall victim to his ruthlessness. It's a race against the clock for Wren to capture Jeremy and have him face justice once and for all.

While I enjoyed the first book, I did feel that Wren's character was missing something. She seemed to cold and emotionless after everything she had gone through, even after she discovered that Jeremy Rose was back and taking the lives of more innocent people. I was very happy with how she progressed in this novel, she felt like more of a realistic, relatable character. Some of the plot twists/events in the story had to do with that progression, which I won't discuss as they would spoil the ending of the novel.

I didn't see any of the twists coming, and they were actually really great. I think this story progressed a lot more slowly than the first novel, but the characters were built up better and there was a lot more relevant background information. The ending was pretty shocking as well, and I'm really interested in seeing where this story goes next.

The writing style also improved for me, particularly the conversations amongst the characters. I've noticed that authors who work in the forensic field that transition to create writing start out somewhat clunky, which I think is because the scientific style of report writing is vastly different from creative writing. Alaina is growing quickly as a fiction writer, which is great to see. I bet the next installment will continue to improve, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

What a wonderful sequel and this isn’t any “sophomore slump”! I enjoyed The Butcher and the Wren but have to agree that The Butcher Game might be even better. I appreciate Alaina’s expertise and background informing the story. It’s like Bones, Silence of the Lambs, and all my favorite fictional crime shows. It even reminded me of several Morbid episodes, not necessarily in content, but at the level of description and I really enjoyed that continuity as a fan of the podcast as well. Absolutely will be recommending this to all my true crime/mystery girlies and can’t wait to see Alaina on her book tour!

A thrilling sequel to The Butcher and the Wren! There is plenty of horror, vivid descriptions, and hold your breath moments. The plot line over all was a little bit odd to me. It read like a crime tv series, with overreaching coincidences/scenarios. I did read it to the end, but it’s not quite the sequel I was hoping for. I will continue to read what Alaina releases, as I like her dark, twisted mind.

Another heart thumping page turner from Alaina Urquhart!

First of all, you CAN read this as a stand alone but I highly recommend reading The Butcher and the Wren before reading this one to get the full background and full enjoyment of the storyline. Secondly, trigger warnings: This is a serial killer story and there are some very difficult scenes of serial killer type activity. I have a hard time with that so I simply skim the most graphic scenes. Thirdly, I cannot recommend this book highly enough! This author is like a fine wine, her writing became even better in this sophomore book and I LOVED her debut!

In this installment ( I say that because I am WISHING AND HOPING there will be a third book) our despicable villain, Jeremy Rose, is on the run from Louisiana where he made a narrow escape. Wren Muller is still recovering from her last encounter with Jeremy. But when there are some horrific deaths occurring near the Boston area that have Jeremy’s signature, she has to go investigate with her steady sidekick investigator, John Leroux. Will Jeremy ever be caught and stopped from his heinous crimes or will he slip through the law’s fingers again?

I was captivated by this story and the flawless writing from the first page and on the edge of my seat for much of it. If you loved J.D. Barker’s Fourth Monkey trilogy you will devour this one, don’t miss out!

Thank you Netgalley, Zando publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on September 17, 2024

Picking up right where The Butcher and the Wren end.
You get Wren's 'healing' and Jeremy search of a new hunting ground and how he pulls Wren back in.

This was a bit slower of a read for me but I did enjoy every minute of it

What an awesome Sequal! I actually liked it better than the first installment of the series. Hoping to see more!

Formal review to come.

Yes!! This was the sequel I was hoping for after reading The Butcher and the Wren. That book had left me with so many questions and anticipation for the next book. I devoured The Butcher Game - experienced emotions of disgust, anger, hopefulness, and more. The ending had me thinking that maybe we'll be seeing a third book in the series? Hmmm

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for approving this ARC.

THE BUTCHER GAME by Alaina Urquhart

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for the ARC ebook to read.

Guess who’s back and is as creepy as ever like he was in The Butcher and the Wren? Get ready to plunge back into Dr. Wren’s world of her relentless pursuit of the maniacal monster, Jeremy Rose, the serial killer, in the sequel, The Butcher Game. The Bayou Butcher is heading north to evade capture and Wren will stop at nothing to prevent this monster from killing more people. Of course, it ends on a cliffhanger and I’m so looking forward to book #3 of the series.

This is more of a horror thriller than just a thriller. I really enjoyed her first of the series and this second of the series does not disappoint. Alaina Urquhart knows how to craft a creepy and scary read. Filled with true-to-life details, as the author is an autopsy technician.

The Butcher Game was a good follow up to the first book The Butcher and the Wren. It was good, but I struggled a bit in the beginning because it was pretty slow. I stuck through because The Butcher and the Wren was a slow start too and I loved it.

This book was very entertaining. I had a great time reading it. That being said, if I had been the one plotting it, I would have gone a different direction with the story. I was a little dissatisfied with the ending, but I get that it sets up for book 3. I just wished we got a little bit more satisfaction. A few of the characters seemed to be acting out of the norm towards the end too making it feel a tad rushed. Anyways the vibes are still great and I highly reccomend this book when it comes out in September!

My biggest issue with book one- The Butcher and The Wren, was how it ended. Why would you end it like that?!? Imagine my joy when I saw that there was a book 2!

The Butcher Game picks up right where The Butcher and The Wren ends. This was just as twisted and graphic as the first one and I ate it right up!!

As seems the be the way of this series, we were left with a cliffhanger so I'll need book 3 ASAP 😩

It’s safe to say no sophomore slump here! This book just seemed a continuation of The Butcher and the Wren, which I absolutely loved and recommend to those who love dark books! This book is so terrifying and realistic and amazing! I love books that put me in real life situations and genuinely scare me! The way the author has two completely different POVs and makes you feel like you’re with each character and truly seeing into their minds is wild! Being inside the head of Jeremy Rose was honestly hard to read at times, but in the best way! Not sure what that says about me 😝 And the strength and courage Dr Wren Muller shows is admirable! I would be terrified after what she went through in the first book, but she is determined to bring Jeremy in and protect others from him. With that being said, I would highly suggest reading the first book, The Butcher and the Wren before picking up this one! And with that wild ending, it seemed maybe this isn’t the last we will see of Wren and Jeremey!!

Thank you, NetGalley for this early copy

I ran to NetGalley after reading the first book and realizing there was a 2nd coming out I had to know what happened. This was a great 2nd book I feel like we are left with just enough curiosity to want to continue but a good amount of closure to be satisfied with the ending. I was obsessed with the story of the first book and loved the way it continued flawlessly into this 2nd one while keeping the perspective of both our FMC and MMC so we got a deep look into both mindsets and thought processes.

WOWZA!!!!! Dark, gripping, tense, pulse pounding and hard to put down, The Butcher Game is a bloody fantastic page turner! It is also the second book in the Dr. Wren Muller series and I highly recommend reading, The Butcher and the Wren prior to reading this book. Would this book work as a stand-alone? Perhaps, but you would be missing so much backstory, the events that led the characters to this book, and fabulous writing. Plus, Alaina Urquhart gives readers a real treat- POV's from both Wren and the Butcher!

I was so excited when I saw that Alaina Urquhart had another book coming in this series. She did not disappoint with this dark, deadly, and thrilling book. Whew! This has some gruesome scenes people so be warned. It also has some brilliant cat-and-mouse scenes that kept me on my toes and with a grin on my face.

Wren is an intelligent, diligent, and courageous medical examiner who is traumatized by events in the first book. The Butcher (Jeremy) is a twisted, clever, diabolical and vicious serial killer. Wren wants justice, but will she get it? You will have to read to find out!

Whew! This book kept me on my toes, and I could not stop turning the pages. I was fully invested in this book from the very beginning. It was hard to put this book down when life got in the way. I loved the plot, the cat-and-mouse, and the introduction of another character with ties to the butcher, who plays an 'interesting' part in this book.

This book is oozing with atmosphere, tension, dread, danger, vivid descriptions, and suspense. It's chilling, graphic, dark, and oh-so-good! Plus, the ending! Man, this book put me through the ringer and left me wanting more. Thankfully, with that ending, there must be another book in the series!!!! I for one, can't wait!

I highly recommended this book series.